


A fine line

by Evya



Category: Batman and Robin (Comics), Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Absent Bruce Wayne, Gen, Hurt Dick Grayson, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Nightmares
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-30
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2019-05-16 04:58:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 8,565
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14804810
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Evya/pseuds/Evya
Summary: Between an absent Bruce, a worried Alfred, being thrown around a warehouse and nightmares Dick is rather sure that it wasn't his week. Not his week at all.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my very first ever Fanfic. Ive loved reading all of your works of art and so i decided to give it a try. Do enjoy- inputs and chriticism is very well apreciated! (Bear with me if the formatting isn't right. I'm still figuring this out)

Flying. There wasn’t a feeling quite like it. Soaring through thin air, feeling it breeze by and hearing the familiar rush. It felt liberating, free even. However, there was a fine, very fine line between flying and falling. Where flying through the air, doing stunts and flips, almost pretending like gravity didn’t exist was fun, falling with increasing speed downwards towards a Sandy floor… Not quite as fun, really. Right now, Dick Grayson was flying – Somersaulting from one trapeze to the other, landing perfectly straight, waving at the crowd beneath him. As he turned and smiled happily at his parents- he froze. They weren’t flying any longer. They were falling. Faster and faster towards the ground and then –  
Dick woke with a gasp of air and flung himself out of bed. He felt hot and sticky, beads of sweat running down on his face.  
While his heart was racing, he braced himself against his knees and stared at the bed in front of him. The sheets were twisted and turned. They looked and smelled damp. Fabulous. The teenager wiped his face with his bare hands, trying to calm himself down. Enough at least to try to go back to sleep.  
“Master Dick” he heard Alfred’s soft voice from outside his room. “Are you all right?”  
“’m fine Alfred” Dick answered noting how out of breath he sounded. “I just got startled.”  
“Would you care for a cup of tea?”  
Dick sighed internally. Why was Alfred even awake? It was the middle of the night, just after 2 Am. Of course, he knew. Bruce had been out of town for a few days to attend to Business in Asia. Batman on the other hand was somewhere unspecified dealing with whatever, helping out the Marsian Manhunter. Bruce had been vague about what he did, and where he did it (and how dangerous it was), which only had upset Dick more. He hated not knowing. He hated being left in the dark.  
“There is no reason for you to know where I’m going.” Bruce said, only partially looking up from his paper. “I’ll be back soon enough.”  
“Why can’t I come with you?” Dick asked, pleaded almost. “I could help!”  
“Because there is school on Monday.” Bruce replied, sipping on his coffee, now focussing on his paper. "And Dick Grayson has very little reason to follow Bruce Wayne to Asia in the middle of the school year."  
"Robin always follows Batman though. I could-" Dick tried his best but was cut short by Bruce.  
"Enough Dick. My decision is final." Dick bit his lip and kept quiet, eyeing his toast suddenly not hungry anymore.  
Alfred watched them both from the kitchen, frowning ever so slightly.  
With Bruce gone, Alfred was tasked with caring for Dick (He usually did anyway but more official now). And that only meant that Alfred worried even more than usual. Dick wasn’t quite sure how the elder man managed to always be right there when he woke from a nightmare, but somehow, he did it. Magic trick perhaps? Or maybe Alfred was clairvoyant.  
“Master Dick?” Alfred sounded almost desperate on the other side of the door. The doorhandle was wiggling.  
“No Tea, Thank you Alfred." Dick said, before the Butler could enter. "I’ll be going back to sleep.” Dick took another deep breath, still leaning heavily on his knees.  
There was a pause. “Very well” the elder man then said before he walked away quietly. The teenager imagined Alfred’s frown and felt a pang of guilt not letting the older man in. He pushed the thought away. He was fine. No reason to worry Alfred. No reason to worry himself. Dick straightened his back and stretched his neck. He was wide awake, the nightmare still in his bones and haunting his mind. He wasn’t sure if he’d manage to get back to sleep. He went to wash his face with cold water, trying to rid his memory of the panic and sadness it felt. There were marginal successes. Looking at himself in the mirror he wiped his brow. He looked more scared and less fierce than he would've liked.  
“You’re too old for nightmares” he told his reflection. “You’re too brave.”  
_I’m still a child_ a small voice told him. _I’m still scared. I’m still hurt._  
Dick sighed, aloud and deeply this time. Then he went back to bed, knowing full well that he’d be staring at the ceiling for the remainder of the night.  
“You’re not falling” he whispered to himself. “You’re really good at flying”

It was as Robin, that he fell. Well, it was as Robin that he was being _thrown_. He felt how he was being pulled up at his collar, a defiant look in his face. The man was large. He was easy double of Robins size, muscular and apparently in a very bad mood. He had been sent by Klarion (He’d had the grace to tell Robin that, but utterly forgot to intoduce himself) to distract the team from whatever the Witch boy was up to. It worked. Aqualad was somewhere facing an identically large man to the side of the warehouse, holding his own quite well, while Conner distracted a third. Robin had long since lost eyes on Wally and the rest of the team. The warehouse was filled with Boxes and shelves, making moving hard and hiding very easy. The dark-haired teenager was not completely sure how they had missed the giants attacking them (it didn’t matter right this moment, but Black Canary would want to know).  
“You are very tiny” his foe gravelled, his face mere inches from robins, pulling him closer. His breath stank.  
“Didn’t eat my veggies” Robin replied, as light-hearted as he could muster. With a loud scream the giant threw Robin towards one of the shelves. Robin was flying for a second and floating for a heartbeat. Right atfter he started falling. Falling fast.  
Robin tried to break his fall and use his Grappling guns to get to safety (or anywhere really. Preferably upwards) but he wasn’t fast enough. Not by a long shot.  
He heard it more than he felt it. There was a metallic thud, followed by the crashing sund of _everything_ falling down on him. There was the cracking of bones, the roaring laugh of his opponent, the rush of his own blood and a loud scream.  
It took him a few heartbeats to realise that he’d been the one screaming. It took him a few more to feel the pain.  
Now, he’d been in pain before of course. More often than he liked to admit. He'd broken rips, he’d been poisoned, he’d been kidnapped and knocked out. There were scars on his body from cuts and bullets. He’s watched his parents die. He’d seen Bruce hurt and he’d been mentally tortured on occasion. Really, neither Dick nor Robin were no strangers to pain (some would argue he'd been in too much pain for a fourteen year old and this very moment he was tempted to _agree_ ).  
His side was on fire. Pain shot up on his left with every single one of his racing heartbeats. He felt blood flow freely over his leg and left hand, which was pinned down by something. His head felt foggy and slow. He’d hit it on something hard. The teenager looked down on himself. A piece of Metal was stuck just below his ribcage, drenching his costume in blood. Alfred would not be pleased. Blood was awful hard get out of costumes. And carpets. For some reason he knew that.  
Robin took a shuddering breath in, trying to relax himself. Trying to get a reasonable thought. It was a fight against himself though. His lungs burned hot, a wheezing sound escaping his lips. Then his body was shaken violently by a coughing fit.  
Blood spluttered everywhere.  
That wasn’t good.  
He wished Bruce was here. Even as the stoic, stubborn, emotionless bat, B would know what to do. B always knew what to do.  
Robin laid his head back down, mostly because he suddenly felt drained from all energy. He focussed on breathing in shallowly. Someone was going to be there in a minute. He couldn’t even wake up from a nightmare without being supervised. Someone would be there in a minute. It would only mildly surprising if Alfred popped up from god-knows-where, scolding him for not making up his bed that morning.  
He’d be right as rain in a few moments. He could hear the fight around him but with no energy to even raise his head, he could only listen and not see. There was grunting and moans of pain. Crashing of shelves and a distinct smell of blood.  
“Robin?” Finally, Kaldurs face appeared in his view and Robin felt strong pressure on his side. More pain shot up his body and he whimpered slightly. Kaldur looked worried. Everyone was always worried. The younger teenager tried to reassure his team leader that he was fine, that he just needed to catch his breath, but not a single word left his mouth. He opened and closed it, gasping for air desperately. It got harder to breathe by the second. Dark circles closed in on his vision, blurring everything around him. Sounds seemed to float away. Kaldur’s face twisted into something strange- fear maybe?  
“Robin!” the Atlantean repeated, more urgently. It sounded far away. Why was it so far away, when he was just there, right in front of him?  
That was probably not good either.  
He felt Kaldurs hand in his and he squeezed is softly.  
The decision to let go was easy, much easier than expected.  
No more sounds or worried faces. No more Kaldur staring down at him and no more Batman in his thoughts. No more laughing giants or falling. There was no more flying either. But most of all, there was no more pain and blood.  
Maybe, just maybe, Dick was fine with that. A small smile tugged on his lips.  
And then Dick Grayson fell backwards into the dark, painless abyss.


	2. Chapter 2

It felt strange and almost like an unreal (and rather unnecessary) bonding exercise, to sit in silence with his team. The fight had been chaotic and loud, making Kaldurs head spin, tying to keep an eye on everyone. He felt like he’d done a good job for the most part. Almost everyone was safe and sound, if a bit bruised up and shaken to the core. _Almost everyone_. The Team was mostly staring into space, waiting for news. Robin had already been in the Medbay when they had made it back. It was their luck that Superman had gotten their distress call the very moment he did. It was Robins luck.  
Kaldurs eyes followed Wally who paced up and down the room aimlessly. Of course, the speedster wouldn’t sit still.  
“Wally” Kaldur said after a few minutes. “Sit”  
The redhead shot Kaldur a desperate look, shook his head and kept pacing. That was how it would be then.  
All the Atlantean was currently able to do was to stare at his hands. They were sticky from Robins blood, he'd had no chance to wash it off yet. No energy to move. It had drenched his hands, gotten under his fingernails and spluttered over his costume. Kaldur did not expect to ever forget the sight of his youngest team member letting go. It was a distinct moment of peace and terror. It had scared Kaldur more than he cared to admit.  
He’d never seen Robin so still. That kid was always moving, joking, jumping or flipping. While it could be annoying and very distracting, it had been much worse to see him silent, motionless and pale. More so even, than seeing him slip away from Kaldurs world.  
The youngsters only noticed Black Canary when she entered the room. “Batman will be here shortly” she announced, sitting down next to Artemis, who was quietly crying. She leaned against the older woman and wiped away her tears.  
“He’ll be fine” Artemis sniffled. “He has to be.”  
“Of course” Wally replied, still pacing. He had gotten faster, almost vibrating now. “Tough as nails that one. Always has been.” His words were a little too rushed to be convincing. “Tougher than Batman.”  
Black Canary smiled softly at the youngsters, gently stroking Artermis’ hair. “You should change. I’ll hold watch until you’re all back. Robins going to be worked on for a little while still.”  
“I’m not leaving” Wally said hardly missing a beat before he sat down, next to Artemis. He corssed his arms before his chest. “I’m not.”  
And so it was decided. They’d stay then, leaving Kaldur nothing to do but staring at his bloody hands, reminding him just how breakable humans could be.  
Reminding him how much hed _failed_. “So” Conner suddenly said into the silence, staring directly at Kaldur. “What are we going to tell the Bat?”  
“The truth” Kaldur replied without hesitation, not looking up, staring at bloody fingers. Robins blood. Happy, funny, kind of arrogant Robin. Kaldur wondered if he’d ever see the gravity defying flips again.  
“I’d hope so.” A sudden gruff voice said. “Everything else is unacceptable.”  
Batman strode in with big steps, looking angry under his cowl. He stood before Kaldur and stared him down. Even under normal circumstances Kaldur would not have liked beeing stared down by the masked man. Today it felt unbearable. Instead of the usual emotionless, stoic exterior and the (very much) expected disappointment, Batman looked worried. If Kaldur didn't know any better he would've even said scared. The again, maybe he was scared.  
“You’ve got 15 seconds to start explaining, Atlantean.” Batman growled.  
“Batman, Please” Black Canary pleaded "This isn't hel-" She was shot down by the man’s glare.  
Kaldur gulped, meeting the dark knight’s angry gaze. “I’m sorry” he whispered. 

**Three hours earlier**  
“I’m not sure what you’ll find. There have been reports of strange occurrences at the ware house, chanting and somesuch. Strange lights, apparently. Oh. And Giants.” The blonde woman smirked. “Maybe just find out what it is? A simple recon mission, really.” Black Canary said. “It might be just some kids having a laugh.” The blonde woman looked at the team with a smile.  
“We will deal with it accordingly.” Kaldur replied.  
It sounded easy enough to the Atlantean. Probably not entirely worth their time, but it had been slow the last few days and everyone was itching for something to do. “Get ready” Kaldur said to no one in particular. The team scattered getting everything they’d need.  
Kaldur (who was always ready) was left alone with Robin (probably even more ready than Kaldur) who was lazily leaning against the couch. The younger half of the Dynamic Duo looked tired, irritable and almost a little distracted. His gaze was unfocussed and darted around the room. He even supressed a yawn. Not something Kaldur was used from the boy wonder. He could always count on Robin’s plans and quick mind. He needed tRobin at full capacity, even if they went hunting for giants.  
“Are you all right?” Kaldur asked him. “You look different from your usual self.”  
Robin sent him an easy, bright smile, returning to the here and now. “I’m fine Kaldur. Just didn’t get a good night’s sleep. Exams are coming up and I was studying 'till late last night.” Robin scratched the back of his head. “I’d complain about the syllabus but I’m not sure you’d be on my side.”  
Kaldur furrowed his brow. “I was under the impression that we are always on the same side.”  
A snort came from the dark-haired teenager. “Exactly what I meant.”  
Before Kaldur could reply the rest of their team assembled around them, getting ready to use the Zeta-tube. With a Last glance at Robin they entered the tube. 

“It’s completely quiet” Wally said as they overlooked the warehouse. “Are we even at the right place? Warehouses look all the same to me.”  
Robin started his wrist computer and checked the coordinates. “Yeah, right warehouse” he said.  
“Not going to make fun of me?” Wally asked teasingly. “Felt like too good an opportunity.”  
Robin shrugged. “Warehouses do all look alike.”  
Artemis shot Wally a strange look, while Wally kept his mouth slightly open in stunned disbelief.  
“Are you done chatting?” Superboy interrupted. “Let’s go!” The broad clone was not known for patience and had already started walking towards the warehouse, when Kaldur held him back.  
“Indeed.” he agreed. “Even if it looks quiet, be sure to be safe. Stay in teams of two. SB and M’gann, Artemis you go with Wally. And Robin” the Atlantean turned towards their youngest “You’re with me. Miss Martian, could you link us up?”  
Silent nods, hurried smiles and everyone had vanished into the Warehouse. Robin followed Kaldur quietly. They entered the Warehouse through one of the side entrances, hiding behind a few wooden Boxes.  
_Can anyone see anything?_ Kaldur asked. _Or hear anything?_  
Noone replied, which was an answer in itself.  
_It looks completely harmless_ Wally said. _Very unusual for our kind of Warehouses, no? Where are the Giants?_  
_Maybe black Canary was right and some kids used it for a laugh?_ Artemis sounded bored. _This is a waste of time._  
_Keep at it_ Kaldur urged. _We need to make sure it’s nothing._  
It was quiet for a moment as the team slowly and softly treaded their way around.  
Kaldur saw a slight movement to his right and turned, pointing Robin towards it. With a court nod Robin silently climbed up one of the shelves and peered over it. With a surprised huff he was thrown backwards to the ground, gracefully catching his own fall, like the acrobat he was. Rolling back into a crouching position.  
_Found the Giants!_ He exclaimed. Four men appeared from all over the warehouse, looking grim and huge, standing at at least seven foot. The first one threw a punch and hit M’gann square in the jaw. The Martian flew backwards and hit the wall with a thud, sliding down unconscious.  
Their telepathic link was broken.  
SBs Angry roar shifted everyone in motion.  
“Wonderful” Robin Muttered, readying his Batarangas. “It had to be angry Giants” He looked at his leader with a small frown. “Just once, I want it to be snow white’s funny Dwarfs!”  
Kaldur drew his Waterswords, focussing on the man before him. “They are mere men.” He told Robin. “They can be defeated.” Robin smiled and nodded, getting momentum for a Kick. But he was caught mid-air, plummeting down to the ground. He rolled and stood up closer to Kaldur.  
“Hello” the giant grinned happy with his first success, tilting his head. “The Witch boy sends his regards.” Kaldur anticipated an attack and was not surprised when the Giant sprinted towards them, the ground trembling beneath him. The Atlantean dodged out of the way and spun back to land his first hit but the Giant just kept on bulldozing though boxes, shelves and whatever else was in his way. The Warehouse around him was shaking from the movement, all sounds blurring into one, making it hard to focus on the one man before him. The Giant turned and ran back towards the Atlantean. Kaldur gritted his teeth and braced himself for a fight. Then he saw a flurry shadow of Red, Yellow and black swing by, throwing explosives towards their opponent. Kaldur threw himself back, diving behind a shelf to get away from the blast.  
It hardly even seemed to catch the Giants attention as he swatted at Robin, like he’d swat at a fly on a hot summers day.  
Kaldur ran towards the fight when suddenly a sound raised above the dull noise of the fight. He heard Artemis scream. He turned his head, trying to locate her. She was at the far side of the warehouse, pinned in between a shelf and the wall. Robin must’ve seen it too.  
“Go!” he yelled at Kaldur, a determined grin on his face. “I’ve got this.” He threw a Batarang and flipped back out of range when the man followed him. Robin didn’t look out of breath, but he seemed off somehow. His timing wasn't right and he stumbled a few times, catching hismelf with pure luck. Kaldur had no time to spare if he wanted to help Artemis.  
So he didn’t hesitate another moment, sprinting towards the archer and helping her out, pushing the shelf forwards.  
“Who are these bastards?” Artemis asked him firing three explosive arrows in quick succession towards the nearest of their foes. “And how have we not noticed them before?”  
The both of them ducked as her arrows hit the ground and exploded.  
“I do not know.” Kaldur replied. “But we need help. Call for the League. I’ll cover you.”  
As Artemis sent their distress call, reaching out for any one member of the league, Kaldur tried to locate the others. He could see Superboy (He looked like he was about to explode), protecting M’gann, having already knocked out one of their foes. Wally was distracting another, throwing punches and insults while munching on whatever he had in his hidden Snack department.  
He couldn’t see Robin. He wasn’t where he’d left him, nor anywhere close by. Finally he spotted the boy wonder to his left, climbing a shelf (unusually clumsy, slipping and taking much longer than expected) to get leverage on his opponent. But the Giant had gotten hold of Robins cape and jerked him back violently, before grabbing him hard at his collar and pulling him up. Robin dangled four feet above ground, grabbing the Giants hands and kicking his feet. He was close to the giants face, his dark hair blowing back with each breath the giant took. Yet, somehow, Robin still looked confident. Kaldur pulled Artemis towards them, urging her to help Robin. “Shoot him! Shoot the Giant!”  
Kaldur watched time slow down until it almost stood still. With a quick flick of his wrists the Giant threw Robin backwards towards the Iron shelf, as if he was a ragdoll. The athletic teenager tried to break his fall with his grappling guns and a flip, but all that did was making an even more awkward Angle for his landing. He crashed left side first into the shelf behind him and an agonising scream echoed through the warehouse. Everything in the shelf collapsed downwards, screetching and thundering down towards the floor.  
“Robin!” Artemis yelled beside Kaldur, releasing an Arrow. Time sped up again almost going too fast now, with Kaldurs racing heart being the only measurement he had.  
Kaldur and the Archer sprinted towards the still collapsing shelf and their buried friend. Artemis turned left to get the Giant to change direction while Kaldur came to a screetching halt next to Robins still form.  
The wound on Robins left was horrendous and grotesque. The sharp piece of metal had pinned Robins left hand behind his back and pierced his body clean through. Kaldur put pressure on it, trying to still the bleed with whatever means he had. It didn’t seem to matter at all. There was a gash on the downed teenager’s forehead, bleeding profusely over his face. Blood was everywhere, pooling around the both of them alarmingly quickly. Robins breathing was laboured and wheezy.  
“Robin?” he looked directly into the boy’s face. That was what Robin was. _A boy_. Almost a child still, tiny in comparison to half the team, not to mention next to a giant. He wasn’t even old enough to drive yet - Why did they take him along to fight? Because he was trained by a _bat?_  
A soft whimper pulled Kaldur back to the situation at hand. He gently took Robins hand. “Robin?” he repeated, his voice slightly breaking. Suddenly he felt his team member squeeze his hand softly, their eyes meeting for a brief moment. Robin looked like he wanted to say something but all he did was silently open and close his mouth. Kaldur hoped it was a good sign that the boy was awake and could respond to external stimuli. His hopes where crushed, when Robins hand went Limp, his body went slack and the white lenses of his mask closed to nothing but a narrow white strip.  
“Hey!” Kaldur yelled and gently shook the downed boy. How young he looked- had Robin ever looked so young before? “Stay with me Robin” Kaldur begged, considerably quieter.  
The Atlantean looked up at the fight surrounding him. At this rate they’d be on it for at least half an hour longer. He took another quick glance at the injured boy before him. Robin didn’t have half an hour.  
Kaldur considered his options. He could try to get Robin free himself and carry him to safety. But a few strong pulls at the Metal shelf crushed Kaldurs hopes. He wasn’t strong enough to move any of it. Also chances were he wasn’t fast enough to get him anywhere before Robin bled to death either.  
He could try and wait for help. Or he could let go and join the fight behind him, leaving Robin to die.  
The latter was not an option.  
Before Kaldur had actually made a decision, there was another mighty crash and half the Justice league broke in through the walls, doors and roof of the warehouse. A moment later Superman was beside Kaldur.  
“That looks like it hurts” Superman noted with a grimace. “He needs medical attention immediately.”  
“It’s too heavy” Kaldur grunted, giving the metal another pull. “I can’t lift it.”  
Superman shot him a look, raised his eyebrows, grabbed the metal and simply pushed it off the unconscious boy. It slammed down with a final crash, spluttering more blood around. “You need to start lifting weights” he told Kaldur before gently scooping Robin up in his arms and silently flying off, no doubt rushing him back to the cave.  
The rest of the fight had been over quickly with the help of the League. The Giants were rounded up and they tried to find the Witch boy, who should’ve been close by but wasn’t. None of the giant men talked, keeping silent, not explaining what had driven them to attack. 

“What do you mean, Robin was distracted?” Batman asked. The bat had sat down next to Kaldur listening intently. “Robin is never distracted.”  
“Really? _That_ is what you’re wondering about?” Wally asked. “Robin could die.”  
Batman stared at the speedster and Wally in turn lost all colour in his face and positively shrunk to the size of a peanut.  
Kaldur met the Batmans gaze. “I’m sorry” he repeated. "I've failed."  
With a sigh Batman leaned back in his chair. “We all know the risk” he finally said. “Robin knows the risk.”  
“What do we do now?” Superboy asked.  
Six pairs of eyes turned to Batman. There were no emotions playing on his face (or if they were, they were hidden by the mask).  
“Now we wait” he replied, looking at everyone in the room individually. “We wait for good news.”


	3. Chapter 3

Dick felt like he was under water, as if he was floating just beneath the surface of an ocean. He didn’t need to gasp for air, nor did he feel wet. He blinked slowly a few times. What had happened? He faintly remembered pain and blood. He looked down to his hands but couldn’t see anything. He wasn’t wearing gloves, so he wasn’t Robin. Why would there be blood?  
There was dull ache in his side but when he gently touched the spot he couldn’t feel an injury.  
He shook his head a few times, trying to get it to clear up. With no measurable success he took a few steps and looked around. He was… somewhere. It was way too bright around him and the only sound was his breathing and heartbeat.  
Definitely not under water, although he still felt distant to everything.  
Suddenly he felt like he was falling towards the ground, before he touched down with a huff in the middle of a circus ground.  
“What..?” he asked into the silence around him. Why was he here? He’d not been in a circus in a while. Years even. Was it years? He wasn’t sure. Dick ran his hand through his hair and tried to understand what was going on.  
Suddenly a loud voice rang through the Circus tent.  
“Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls! Welcome to today’s show!” Dick looked around frantically. What was going on? He couldn’t see anyone, only hear the roaring voice.  
“Please welcome to the stage with me- the last flying Grayson!” every word had an edge to it and was sharp as a knife. Dick saw a trapeze being lowered down to him.  
“Dick Grayson will perform without a safety net, 60 feet in the air- and the ground will be on fire!”  
“Wait” Dick said as he held on to trapeze. “The ground will be what now?”  


Wally sat in silence at Dick’s bedside. His friend- _best friend_ \- was lying unconscious on the bed, breathing slow and steady. The small frame was covered by a thin blanket and all sorts of machinery was attached to him.   
Red Tornado had come to get him and Batman a few hours ago, telling them that Dick was not out of the woods yet, that he still had to fight off an infection and a fever, but that he had a chance. It was more than Wally had anticipated.  
He’d not seen Robin get injured, nor had he seen him slipping. Truthfully the speedster was thankful for it, he’d never liked seeing people he cared about being hurt. The look on Kaldurs face had been enough for Wally to know that it had been bad. He'd be traumatized enough with the sight of Dick looking tinier than usual in the bed before him.   
Batman sat on the other side of his Partners bed, holding one of Dicks hands, gently tracing his slender fingers. The boy was pale and still, having lost more blood than was healthy for anyone. And yet, the boy was alive. _Alive >/em>._  
Dicks Injuries were substantial, with the metal that had impaled him being among the lesser worrisome ones. It had nicked a vein, which was why he had lost so much blood in such little time, but thankfully missed every single vital organ. Three of his ribs were cracked and one was broken. The broken bone had nicked Dick's lung, making it hard for him to breath.  
What Red Tornado and Dr. Leslie had been most worried about however, had been his head injury. It was a substantial concussion which would make the boy wonders head spin for a while, messing with his memories.  
It was most likely why he had not woken from the general anaesthesia yet either.  
“He looks small, doesn’t he?” Batman said softly. He sounded unlike his usual self, less gruff and angry. The man leaned forward and ran his fingers though Dick’s hair carefully, as if he was afraid the boy would break.  
Wally didn’t reply. It was easy for him to be friends with Dick (no one understood his silly jokes like he did, nor did Wally expect anyone ever would again), but he’d never quite understood the Bat (Mostly for the lack of humour). They were friendly enough but always kept a distance. Until now.   
With the two visitors having fallen into silence, the only sound was Dicks breathing and his heart monitor steadily beeping. Wally was sure that it was the most reassuring sound in the world.  
Wally looked at Dicks face, the mask still firmly in place, just in case any of the others wanted to come by. How silly it seemed to him, protecting Dick’s identity when he had been so close to dying. The mask hid Dick’s cheerful blue eyes. The speedster briefly wondered if he’d ever see them open again, ready for another adventure.  
“Do you think he’ll be okay?” Wally asked Batman, trying to push his dark thoughts away.  
The Bat sighed deeply, before pressing a gentle kiss to Dick’s temple. “I think he’ll return to us” he then said. “He always does.” 

__

Dick felt hot. The fire was so far away, yet he felt like he was positively being scorched while summersaulting from one trapeze to the next. What was going on?  
Why was he in the circus? Had Bruce gotten tired of him and returned him to Haly?  
No, that couldn’t be true. Dick swung backwards, trying to reach the small platform just below the tents ceiling.  
Bruce was his legal guardian, his father, he’d never abandon him. Or would he?  
With another graceful swing the teenager managed to stand on the platform and wave at an imaginary crowd.  
“The Boy wonder is doing well, isn’t he folks?” the roaring voice reappeared. “Not even fire bothers the Robin!”  
Dick froze. How did the voice know? Only a select few knew his secret identity and he was almost definitely sure that the voice wasn’t one of them. He turned a few times, trying to locate the voice, but the tent was empty. No one was anywhere, not even a shadow.  
The heat was unbearable by now. He was sweating, his hands slippng from the trapeze when he got hold of it. What exactly was he supposed to do now?  
Before he could find out the trapeze shot upwards into the sky and he flew with it, until it stalled and finally made its way backwards. Dick tried to tighten his fingers around the trapeze and for a second, he thought he had it. Then they slipped and the dark-haired boy fell towards the raging fire below, a silent scream carved on his face.

Bruce hated to leave Dick alone. He wanted to do nothing else but sit at the boy’s bed, watching him breathe steadily. No one had ever told him that watching your son breath would be all he needed to feel happy. No one really ever told him anything about parenthood (in truth he didn’t ever expect to be a parent, even less so a single parent to a teenage boy that would willingly lay down his life if he thought he’d safe other people). He had faint memories of his own parents. Sometimes Bruce wished he could ask his own father about being a Dad. How he could deal with all the small struggles, fights and math homework. Alfred had never warned him either on how his heart would swell with pride at the sight of Dick succeeding, how he’d sometimes only needed a smile and hug from the boy to make everything feel whole again. How all he wanted this very moment was to see Dicks bright blue eyes flutter open. Preferably followed up by a sarcastic comment. Or a flip.  
But he had to go back to Wayne Manor. He needed to attend to some things, so that he could devote the next few days to Dick and his recovery.  
Alfred was waiting for him with a cup of tea in hand and a plater of food on the table.  
“Good evening Master Bruce” Alfred said, sounding just a tad different from his usual self. “It felt like a green tea kind of evening.”  
“I’m just coming by to take care of some things, Alfred. I’ll be leaving shortly.” Bruce took off his cowl and set it down on the table, next to the full plate of food. He set out to pull off his gloves and turn back into Bruce Wayne completely. “I don’t know when I’ll be back.”  
The Butler handed him the green tea and gestured over to the chair. Bruce shook his head, just about to tell the butler gently off, when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.  
A single tear rolled down the Butlers cheek. “How- How is he?” he asked. Alfred’s voice was tight, trying to hold in emotions.  
Bruce sat down with a tired sigh, burying his face in his hands. “He’s too still Alfred. He’s not moving.”  
“None of those flips he does?” Alfred tried to sound light, but it failed. Bruce shook his head slightly.  
“I’m so afraid Alfred” Bruce confessed. “What if he never moves again? What if he never _wakes_?”  
Alfred gently put a hand on Bruce’s back and gave it a soft squeeze. “Now, now, Master Bruce” he said. “We should not despair.”  
The Butler pulled out a chair and sat down beside the younger man, gently pulling off his forgotten gloves. Bruce felt too tired to even move and all he could do was stare at Alfred pullinh finger by finger until the black material slipped off. “I would very much like to see him” Alfred said, after putting the gloves down next to the cowl.  
Bruce looked up, unsure of how to answer. There was no way to get Alfred there without at least some of the Teenagers being able to make a connection to Dick Grayson.  
“Only if his identity can be protected, of course” Alfred quickly added. “I know he would be rather upset if we blurted out who he is.”  
“All hell would break loose” Bruce huffed. “I’ll try to get you there, Alfred. There must be a way, somehow.” The two men sat in silence for a moment, then, Bruce smiled at Alfred faintly. “Somehow.” 

Dick had thought the Fire pit under the trapeze would be the worst thing. It _wasn’t_.  
Instead of falling to his fiery death he gently touched down on the ground- surrounded by complete darkness. The kind of unnatural darkness of a windowless room, with no sign of light or hope. It was a prison. And his own personal hell. The teenager sat on the ground hugging his knees tightly to his chest, humming to himself, trying to not lose the last sense of control.  
He hated the dark.  
How had he gotten here? Why wasn’t Bruce rescuing him? And how had ne not burned to death? He took a few deep breaths. It couldn’t be a nightmare, because Alfred hadn’t popped out of nowhere yet. Maybe it was real? Dick shook his head. That wasn’t an option. In reality he’d be dead. He’d been injured. The aching pain in his left side was still there and his head felt fuzzy now, almost a little muted. His thoughts felt tossed around and refused to move in a straight line. Everything was scrambled and broken, as if he had dropped his memories and put them together wrong. A Faulty puzzle.   
It couldn’t be real. It wasn’t a nightmare. Bruce had not abandoned him. He was only on a mission. He didn’t leave him here to die.  
Alfred wasn't here to help him wake up. And Alfred was always there.   
Not real. Not a nightmare.  
“I’m running out of options” Dick murmured, leaning his forehead on his knees. He felt tears prickling in his eyes and despair setting in.   
And the sudden feeling of warmth and love around his shoulders as if a blanket was draped over him. Dick sat up straight unsure of what had happened.  
He wasn’t alone anymore. He felt warmth on his hands, touching on his face. He felt pain shooting up his body. Dick took a deep breath. It was harder to breathe now, with his left side burning.  
Fear settled over him.  
It wasn’t a nightmare. It was real. A different kind of real.   
Finally he heard voices pushing through to his mind, light shining at the far side of his prison.   
A smile tugged on his lips.   
He could work with that.   


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know, general anesthesia does something to your mind. Terrified me beyond everything ive ever experienced. So I wrote it off my chest.


	4. Chapter 4

“What do you mean we’re going grocery shopping?” Superboy asked Black Canary confused.  
“Is there any different meaning to that?” The blonde replied. “This team has four growing boys. Do you know how much growing boys eat?”  
Black canary pointed at Wally, who was eating a sandwich (the third one this morning) and he froze on the spot, looking like a deer caught off guard.  
“I need fuel” he then said. “To run?”  
“We would prefer to stay with Robin” Kaldur pitched in. “He has not woken yet.”  
Black canary sighed. “Batman will stay with him. You five will come with me.”  
“But-“  
“No but. Change and be ready in ten minutes”  
The teenagers scattered to change into their civilian clothes, with Black Canary turning around to the Medbay, knocking before entering.  
Batman sat at Robin’s side, as he had most of the past 36 hours.  
“We’ll be gone for three hours” she told him. “Will that be enough?”  
“Yes” Batman replied. “Give Kid Flash my thanks again, will you?”  
She nodded courtly and went back to the kitchen. Shortly after she herded five complaining teenage heroes out the Zeta tubes.  
“Can we get Ice cream?” Wally asked as he got whisked away. 

As soon as Batman heard them leave, he got up, kissed Dick on the forehead and left to get Alfred. It had been Wally’s idea to take everyone grocery shopping. It was something they’d never done before and his Friends would just assume it was to get their minds off of a still unconscious Robin. Which was not a lie.  
Just bending the truth.  
Alfred walked in the Medbay with a stride, head up high and a bag with him. He’d seen both, Bruce and Dick hurt often enough to be able to deal with his emotions. When the old man saw the boy he sighed.  
“I forget how young he is.” He said, sounding very tired. “They grow up so fast… and yet, they always stay young somehow.”  
The Butler fussed over Dick’s blanket, making sure it was straight. Then he gently placed Dick’s arms by his side, checking each IV line and his Bandages. Next he pulled out a picture that showed Batman and Robin in Full costume, flying over Gotham’s rooftops. Bruce could almost hear Dicks cackle echoing through the room. Alfred set the picture down gently on the nightstand, before he finally sat down on the chair. He ran his hand through Dick’s hair, straightening it a little. Then he took the boys hand.  
“That’s much better Robin, is it not?” Alfred said with a smile. “I wanted to bring by your Blanket, but I was assured it isn’t necessary.”  
“He won’t know, Alfred” Batman said, walking over and taking a seat on the bed.  
“I would know.”  
Batman met Alfred’s gaze, before he took off his Cowl and Robins mask. Alfred shot him a questioning look. Bruce shrugged. “I will need to delete the footage any way.”  
The two men sat in silence, each hung up on their own thoughts. One on each side of the bed, holding one limp hand, listening to a breathing boy.  
“Do you remember, when he had just moved in the Manor?” Alfred suddenly asked.  
“Which part of it?”  
Alfred smiled, patted Dicks hand and leaned back in his chair. “He was overwhelmed with how big the Manor was. He wouldn’t get lost but he’d sometimes just stand in the study, staring out into the hallway. It took him two years to get comfortable with the Manor.”  
Bruce tried to picture a nine year old Dick staring at the hallway but he mostly saw Robin being by his side.  
“I remember the time he used the chandelier to swing across the room. I got him Grappling guns the day after.”  
“Oh, he still uses the chandelier when he thinks no one is watching.” Alfred closed his eyes, still holding on to Dick’s hand. “Maybe he could dust it for me next time. It is bloody high up.” 

Black Canary had known it wasn’t going to be an easy trip with all of the team around her. She had lost sight of Artemis and M’gann about ten seconds after arriving at the store, with Wally disappearing towards the videogame section, dragging Superboy along.  
Kaldur was sulking beside her, pushing the cart.  
“Why did you bring us here?” he asked.  
“You needed to leave the cave. Clear your heads.” She grabbed a few cucumbers and carrots, scratching them off their list.  
“I don’t believe you.” Kaldur replied. “There is someone from Robin’s private life at the cave.”  
Black Canary sighed, packing eggs into the cart. “Just push the cart, will you?”  
Kaldur nodded, walking a little faster.  
“I think Wally is enjoying himself” he suddenly said. Black Canary looked up.  
“Wally! Put that down!” she yelled. “If it isn’t edible we’re not buying it!”  
The Atlantean looked at Wally, who hesitated for a moment, before he stuck the game in his mouth with a wide grin. 

Dick ran towards the light ahead of him. Every step he took hurt, his head swimming, his left side screaming in pain. But he didn’t stop, if he stopped-  
He wouldn’t stop. Too stubborn.  
The light came closer excruciatingly slow, no matter how fast he ran. It felt like he ran upwards or maybe down, he wasn’t too sure. He knew he heard Alfred talking- Alfred was there, maybe it was a nightmare?- and if Alfred was there, so would be Bruce. Maybe he was at the Manor? He’d like that. The Manor was fun, plenty of exercise possibilities. And it was home. A good home. His home.  
Suddenly the light was right before him.  
The teenager came to a screeching halt, suddenly second guessing what he was doing. That light could be him dying.  
Death wasn’t an option.  
He heard Alfred’s calm voice and thought there was a snicker that sounded like Bruce. Dick stood so close to the light, that if he stretched his arm he would be able to touch it. It was a bit like a light curtain, with shadows behind it. He couldn’t identify what it was, but he didn’t feel threatened by it. It felt familiar.  
Dick took a deep breath. Best case it was Bruce and Alfred. Or anyone else from his team. Wally would be nice. He’d know what to say.  
Worst case…  
He’d cross that bridge when he got to it.  
Carefully and slowly, Dick raised his hand, touching the light before him. It felt warm and calm and… like he belonged.  
With a last deep breath, the boy Wonder took a step forward into the light, shutting his eyes and clenching his fists.


	5. Chapter 5

In contrast to letting go, waking up was _really_ hard. The first breath felt like a punch to the throat, making him choke and cough and generally feel miserable. Fire burst through his lungs, each cough tearing through his body. When he managed to calm down enough to breathe softly, his eyes fluttered open, only halfway, and he was blinded by bright lights, that felt like daggers to his brain.  
Every tiny movement he made, broken bones shifted against each other in his chest. He could hear the hushed talking around him, sounding worried. He fluttered his eyes open again, trying to succeed more this time, but it didn’t work. He caught a glance of Bruce above him, before they closed shut again. He didn’t remember how hard it was to keep his eyes open.  
“Dick?” Bruce asked quietly. The teenager felt something shift, hands touching his cheeks. He wanted to open his eyes desperately, but his body wasn’t obeying commands.  
“Open your eyes, son.” His mentor sounded tight, even a little worried. “Can you hear me?”  
The teenager nodded with small movements. He could hear Bruce. But he wasn’t sure at all if he could keep his eyes open for longer than a flutter.  
He squeezed the hand he felt on his right, opening his eyes slowly. Bruce leaned over him, in the seconds he had his eyes open he could see the relief on his Mentors face. His eyes grew tired, as if he’d been up for hours and he shut them again. Dick grew annoyed at himself. Why couldn’t he keep his eyes open?  
Soft strokes on his cheek and Alfred fretting over something in the back calmed him down. He opened his eyes again, this time strong enough to keep them open and just slightly blink and look around.  
“It is good to see you” Bruce said. “You had me worried.”  
Dick smiled. He wanted to make a sarcastic comeback but he didn’t have the energy. He felt like he had been hit by a truck. That then exploded.  
With a last gentle squeeze of Bruce’s hand, Dick closed his eyes and knew no more. 

At first Bruce wasn’t sure if he was only imagining it. Dick had been sleeping restlessly for an hour or so, ever since Alfred had joined them. Tiny changes in the boys breathing and soft squeezes to their hands- to Bruce it felt like a first step and a perfect display of Dick’s character. He couldn’t even be still for a few days when he was unconscious. Perhaps that was why, both he and Alfred, were caught by complete surprise when suddenly the sleeping boy took a deep breath and started violently coughing. His eyes tightly closed he laid on his back, sounding as if he was about to suffocate.  
Bruce jumped up, gently keeping the boy still, so that he wouldn’t tear out his stitches. After what felt like hours (Bruce had counted, it had been 36 seconds) Dick settled back down. There was no word in any language Bruce knew to remotely describe how relieved he felt when blue eyes fluttered open in a pale face. The Bat felt afraid to touch his son, too afraid to hurt him more. Maybe he would burst, like glass?  
“He’s coming to!” Alfred exclaimed. “I shall fetch some water. “  
Dick’s eyes fluttered open and shut as Bruce leaned over him, gently touching his face. “Dick? Open your eyes, son.” There was a soft moan and a slight frown. “Can you hear me?”  
And then- Finally, finally, Dick opened his eyes. Those bright blue eyes, looking up at him, still dazed and confused.  
Bruce sighed and dropped his head downward before facing the boy again. “It is good to see you.” He pressed a kiss to Dick’s forehead. “You had me worried.”  
The boy smiled just a little. Bruce almost missed it, before he closed his eyes again, falling back asleep. Dick's Trademark smile. It felt like a boulder was lifted off his chest.  
Alfred came in a split second later, holding a glass of water. “Is he still up?”  
“No” Bruce said hoarsely.  
“Well then” Alfred said. “I expect he’ll be waking up soon enough.” Then Alfred looked straight at Bruce. "Sir, may a suggest something?"  
The old Butler sat down, back where he had been. Before gesturing for Bruce to do the same. Bruce obliged and nodded. "Always, Alfred." He sat down, holding Dick's hand. "No more capes." The Butler said with a smirk. "They seem to be very grabbable." "I'm the caped cursader." Bruce replied. Then he sighed. "I'll think about it." It was not going to be easy for a while, it would be hard work to get the boy back to where he had been. There would be up and downs- they’d be flying and falling. There would be frustration and tears. There would be _laughter_.  
But most of all, it was going to be Batman and Robin.  
And Bruce smiled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for reading, commenting and all your Kudos! I've had a blast- I hope so did you.  
> À la prochaine!


End file.
